The Kitchn Archive: 2014

We don’t know about you, but a good speaker system is an essential part of our kitchens. If you’re going to spend some time cooking you’re going to need great tunes. These five speakers will help you rock out while you dice, braise, and boil. No matter your budget or space, one of these will fit in your kitchen.

I always gravitate toward the cheese platter at buffets or cocktail parties. Who doesn’t like cheese, sweet grapes, and maybe a few slices of prosciutto or salami? While there’s zero cooking involved in a putting together a cheese platter, here’s one tiny tip about the best way to serve that big cluster of grapes that makes a big difference.

When we talk about easy, inexpensive ways to improve the storage in your kitchen — any kitchen, even a rental — a pot rack comes up quickly. Hanging your pots and pans for easy access frees up cupboards. But what if you, like me, are just too short for a traditional pot rack? I have tall friends with racks that loom high over their island or stove, but I am not tall enough to manage that!

Ah, college cooking. It brings to mind such sophisticated fare as Rice Krispie treats (eaten straight out of the bowl, of course), thick dining hall chili, boxed brownie mixes and the like. For me, college was when I really figured out that I liked to cook, so my memories actually include somewhat sophisticated foods like homemade pita bread, baba ghanoush, gnocchi, and risotto. I found a few favorite recipes along the way that I still use today — read on to find out which ones!

From dishtowels to oven mitts and aprons to reusable totes, you need places to hang a few things in your kitchen. These 10 wall hooks and racks inject a little bit of personality into your space. Now the only problem will be choosing which one you like best. Clarabell and Taurus Coat Hooks, $15 each from CB2: What better place to hang your reusable grocery totes than on the horns (or ears) of these bovines.

When I opened my back door this morning, the first thing I saw sitting on the step was an old pot filled with some just-picked apples, an unexpected gift from my neighbor. Such a small, simple offering but immediately I felt a chrysanthemum of joy blossom in my chest like a tiny firework. A much needed tiny firework chrysanthemum of joy, for the previous day had been a difficult one.

Who cooks and eats here: Allen Coin and me, Lisa Pepin! See the kitchen: What It’s Like to Search for an Apartment (and a Good Kitchen) in Hanoi, Vietnam Where: Hanoi, Vietnam Rent or Own? Rent By now, you’ve gotten to know my narrow Hanoi kitchen and how it’s proven to be great for day-to-day cooking. A couple weeks ago, Allen and I put it to the test by inviting our friends from Vietnam, England, Germany, and France over to cook three different dishes together.

What does it actually take to start a food business — large or small? We’re intensely curious about the actual life that happens behind the scenes of the companies that make our food. Sarah Marx Feldner, a small business owner in Wisconsin, recently shared what she has learned so far from starting her small food business. I thought her insights were thoughtful and helpful — read on if you too dream of someday starting your own career in making (and selling) something delicious.

Who cooks and eats here: Allen Coin and me, Lisa Pepin! Where: Hanoi, Vietnam Rent or Own? Rent I’ve done my share of apartment hunting in North Carolina. I know how to avoid the big complexes with the bad reviews and click-baiting ads, screen out the euphemisms that mean “old” or “surrounded by loud students,” and write an email to a Craigslist landlord that actually gets a response.